The collision singularity in a perturbed two-body problem

It is shown that, in the neighborhood of a collision singularity, the motion in a perturbed two-body problem \(\ddot r = - \mu r^{ - 3} r + P\) , whereP remains bounded, has the same basic properties as the motion in the neighborhood of a collision in the unperturbed two-body problemP=0.     

Discontinuity controlled probabilistic slope failure risk maps of the Altindag (settlement) region in Turkey

The evaluation of potential rock slope problems using stereographic projection techniques known as kinematic analysis is one of the most important parts of a slope stability investigation to be carried out in jointed rock media. In conventional stereoprojection techniques for the assessment of possible rock slope failures, the peak orientations of joints together with the slope geometry and the friction angle of the weakness planes are used. Other possible joint orientations which may be encountered in the rock media are ignored, although they belong to the group of joint peak orientations. In this study, nearly vertical jointed andesites cropped out at the Altindag settlement region in Ankara were studied in order to evaluate the relevance of this ignored discontinuity orientation data on slope stability. As a result, probabilistic risk maps for planar, toppling and wedge failures were produced using the kinematic rules and digital elevation model of the study area. The comparison of the distribution of the actual failures in the area and the probabilistic risk maps prepared for the study area revealed that all of the identified failures are found to be located in the higher risk zones on the probabilistic risk maps.     

Power spectrum of geomagneticK p-index detected at Misallat magnetic station

TheK _p-indices measured at Misallat station [ø = 29°45 N; = 30°54 E] during the period 1958–1989, have been compared with the data of two geomagnetic stations; one of them has similar longitude as Misallat and the second has almost similar latitude. The spectra of daily and hourly data of the three stations are compared together to define the latitude and longitude-effects on the detected periodicities. Daily periodicities ofK _p-index activities at the values 32.7, 21.2, 12.9, 11.6 and 9.2 days have been obtained to be common in the spectra of the three stations. The existence of 5-days periodicity in these stations has also been detected.     

Change in the magnetic properties of bituminous coal intruded by an igneous dike, Dutch Creek Mine, Pitkin County, Colorado

Magnetization measurements have been made on natural coke–coal samples collected at various distances from a felsic porphyry dike in a coal seam in Dutch Creek Mine, Colorado to help characterize the nature and distribution of the iron-bearing phases. The magnetization passes through a maximum at the coke-to-coal transition about 31 cm from the dike contact. The magnetic measurements support the geochemical data indicating that magmatic fluids along with a high-temperature gas pulse moved into the coal bed. Interaction of the magmatic fluids with the coal diminished the reducing power of the thermal gas pulse from the dike to a point about 24 cm into the coal. The hot reducing gas penetrated further and produced a high temperature (400–525°C) zone (at about 31 cm) just ahead of the magmatic fluids. Metallic iron found in this zone is the principal cause of the observed high magnetization. Beyond this zone, the temperature was too low to alter the coal significantly.     

Evidence for focused hot fluid flow within the Britannia Field, offshore Scotland, UK

Fluid inclusion and scanning electron microscope‐cathodoluminescence evidence indicates focused hot, saline, diagenetic fluid flow within the Eastern Flank of the Britannia Field, offshore Scotland, UK. The fluid was sourced from the Andrew Salt Dome, 10 km to the east. The fluids, which promoted quartz cementation of the upper zones within the field, were up to ～30°C hotter and had salinities up to ～10 wt% NaCl equivalent higher than fluids from lower in the reservoir section. During diagenesis hot saline fluids migrated westwards as part of a radiating ‘diagenetic front’ from the Andrew Salt Dome. Structural dip associated with the Eastern Flank of the Fladen Ground Spur impeded the westward movement of the diagenetic fluid. The quartz cements from the upper and lower reservoir zones can be distinguished by morphology. In the upper zones the quartz cements have well‐developed macro‐crystalline zoning and heterogeneous luminescence across the grain. In the lower zones, the cements are much less developed, unzoned and very weakly luminescent. The diagenetic fluids were primarily focused into Zone 45 within the upper reservoir. Furthermore, within the Main Platform Area the most prolific producing zone is Zone 45, indicating the importance of this interval as a permeable flow unit during both diagenetic and production timescales. Within the Eastern Flank, the quartz overgrowths have a major impact on reservoir permeability and thus well productivity. The overgrowths are most extensive in the originally clean sandstones with low clay content. Clay in optimum volumes (5–10%) can inhibit nucleation of the damaging quartz overgrowths without having a detrimental effect on pore connectivity. These observations provide a predictive concept for use in the search for relative reservoir sweetspots within the degraded Eastern Flank.     

X-ray transient sources

The galactic distribution and physical nature of X-ray transient sources is investigated. Two types of transients are considered. The observational data on 41 X-ray transient sources are given, and the average parameters of hard and soft X-ray transients are estimated.     

Observation of Precipitating Systems over Complex Orography with Meteorological Doppler Radars: A Feasibility Study

Summary  This paper concerns the use of airborne or ground-based Doppler radars to observe precipitating systems over complex orography. As nearly all of the previous experiments involving Doppler radars were conducted over flat surfaces over the continents or the oceans, new techniques are needed firstly to separate ground clutter from meteorological signal and, in the case of airborne Doppler observations, to deduce navigational errors. Secondly, it is necessary to take the atmospheric circulation induced by orography into account in the three-dimensional wind field analysis. Variational techniques are presented to solve these problems. The proposed methods are tested with simulated ground-based and airborne Doppler radar observations for analytic flows over analytic terrains and for numerically simulated wind and reflectivity fields for the Brig event (22 September 1993) of heavy precipitation over the southern flank of the Alps (Cosma and Richard, 1998), and with actual airborne Doppler data relative to weak snow showers over the Rocky Mountains on 12 March 1995. Received March 22, 1999/Revised June 1, 1999     

On Evaluating Characteristics of the Solute Transport in the Arid Vadose Zone

The transport of bromide (Br) under matric heads of 0, ?2, ?5, and ?10 cm using undisturbed soil columns was investigated for understanding the solute transport in arid soils. Undisturbed soil cores were collected at ground surface, directly below where tension infiltrometer measurements were made in the Amargosa Desert, Nevada, United States. Laboratory experiments were conducted by introducing water containing Br tracer into a soil column maintained at steady‐state conditions. The observed data of breakthrough curves (BTC) were well fitted to an one‐region model, except for the cores at saturation, and a core at the matric head of ?5 cm, from which the observed data were better fitted to a two‐region model. Fitted pore water velocities with the one‐region model ranged from 1.2 to 56.6 cm/h, and fitted dispersion coefficients (D) ranged from 2.2 to 100 cm²/h. Results for the core analyzed with the two‐region model indicated that D ranged from 27.6 to 70.9 cm²/h at saturation, and 25.7 cm²/h at the matric head of ?5 cm; fraction of mobile water (β) ranged from 0.18 to 0.65, and mass transfer coefficient (ω) ranged from 0.006 to 0.03. In summary, the water fluxes and Br dispersion coefficients at investigated matric heads were very high due to the coarseness of the soils and possibly due to preferential flow pathways. These high water fluxes and Br dispersion coefficients would lead to a higher risk of deeper leaching accumulating nitrate nitrogen to the groundwater, and have significant effects on the desert ecosystem.     

Morphodynamics of a 1000‐year flood in the Kamp River,Austria, and impacts on floodplain morphology

This paper investigates the impact of a 1000‐year flood in August 2002 on floodplains and valley morphology of an Austrian mixed alluvial bed rock river. Discharges with a recurrence interval between 500 and 2000 years caused distinctive overbank scouring and material deposition in the floodplains. After the 1000‐year flood, those morphologically affected areas were at random intervals documented over the whole longitudinal profile. In addition to overbank erosion in curved sections (cut‐offs), the river bed locally widened, floodplain stripping occurred and local overbank scours were documented along straight parts of the river. A hydrodynamic‐numerical model, combined with field measurements, was used to analyse the cause of these erosional landforms. Based on the modelled hydraulic conditions for a one‐year flood (30–78 m³ s^–1) and the catastrophic 2002 event (700–800 m³ s^–1), the numerical results allowed a cause‐effect study with 19 parameters. Deterministic and statistical analysis (ANOVA, discriminant analysis) showed that the morphodynamic effects of the 2002 flood were influenced by the variability of valley morphology of the Kamp River, which led partially to supercritical flow during flood constriction. These processes were in some cases also anthropogenically influenced. Lateral constriction and expansion of the valley geometry over short distances led to scouring and aggradation within the inundated areas during the event. These morphological features were therefore responsible for the elongated scour holes in the floodplains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.